At dawn, Tian Lin woke up from his meditation, exhaling a mouthful of turbid energy. This was the more impure part of his soul power, and with the help of the Nuwa Emperor Meditation Method, he was able to refine and purify it during training. The soul power he cultivated in this way became exceptionally pure.
"Ah, that feels great. Although those bastards from yesterday were annoying, they weren't entirely useless," Tian Lin thought, feeling the significant increase in his soul power, which lifted his mood considerably.
After a prolonged battle with so many people yesterday, Tian Lin had nearly exhausted his soul power. But after a night of meditation, not only had he fully recovered, but he had also broken through to level 19. One more level, and he could hunt for his second soul ring.
What excited him even more was that he had finally mastered the basics of the Seven Kill Sword Technique. He realized that to grasp the sword intent of the Seven Kill Sword Technique, it wasn't necessary to kill someone—just harboring the intent to kill was enough.
Yesterday, when Tian Lin resolved to kill those people, a surge of killing intent naturally gathered around him. When he unleashed the move "Killing Intent Spread," it was a hundred times smoother than during his usual practice, and the power was significantly greater.
Knock, knock, knock!
Just as Tian Lin was about to step out, an urgent knock came from the door. When he opened it, he found his class teacher, Ms. Zhou Yan, standing there.
"Ms. Zhou, why are you here so early? It's not even class time yet. Don't worry, I won't be late."
"Class? Forget about class! Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you've caused?" Zhou Yan was visibly anxious. "Last night, did you cut off the ears of Chu Jie and Aldo? They sent word to their families overnight, and now both families have people causing a scene at the Academic Affairs Office!"
"Oh, that's what this is about? What's there to be scared of? They were the ones who provoked me yesterday. Besides, this is Heaven Dou Royal Academy—they wouldn't dare to act recklessly here, would they?" Tian Lin replied, utterly unafraid.
"You don't understand! Do you know who's coming? Chu Jie's situation is still manageable; his father is just a minor city lord with soul power at the Soul King level. But the Aldo family is different. Aldo's grandfather, Orf, is one of the top experts in the Barak Kingdom. He's the head of the family and possesses soul power at level 81—a Soul Douluo! It's said that he dotes on his grandson very much, and since he's currently visiting Heaven Dou City, he definitely won't let this slide."
Zhou Yan didn't know Tian Lin's full background, but her concern was evident. As a teacher, she didn't want to see such a promising student ruined.
What worried her more was that among the three elders of the academy, only Bai Baoshan was present today. The other two had gone to the palace to meet the emperor. Bai Baoshan was known for being a pushover, and Zhou Yan feared he wouldn't be able to handle Orf.
"Don't worry, Ms. Zhou. If they're coming for me, I'll face them myself!"
Seeing Tian Lin's indifference, Zhou Yan sighed and said, "Fine, what's done is done. Tell me everything that happened last night—leave nothing out. Any detail that might help you, we can't afford to overlook."
"Alright. Last night…"
As they walked, Tian Lin recounted the events in detail. Zhou Yan's eyes lit up as she listened. From the looks of it, the blame lay entirely with the other party. At most, Tian Lin could be accused of excessive self-defense. If she handled the matter carefully, the worst outcome would likely be a heavy punishment for Tian Lin, but not expulsion.
The two soon arrived at the Academic Affairs Office. Before they even entered, they heard an old, angry voice shouting.
"Bai Baoshan, I entrusted my grandson to your Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and this is how you take care of him? He's lost his ears!"
"Mr. Orf, please calm down. Let's wait until Tian Lin arrives and review the incident carefully," Bai Baoshan's honest and gentle voice sounded as if trying to placate the situation.
Although the three elders of the Academic Affairs Office were all powerful, they were known for being overly accommodating. In Tian Lin's opinion, any one of them was stronger than that old man Orf, so why were they tolerating his behavior?
"Hmph! Let's see what that little brat has to say when he gets here…"
Before Orf could finish his sentence, Tian Lin pushed the door open and walked in. "Hey, old man, I'm here. What do you want to do about it?"
Inside the office were four people: Bai Baoshan, Orf, the victim Aldo, and another of Tian Lin's teachers, Ye Ping. All of them turned to look at Tian Lin the moment he spoke.
Zhou Yan was startled and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Mr. Orf. He's just a child and doesn't know how to behave. Please forgive him for being disrespectful."
After all, Orf was a Soul Douluo, someone Tian Lin couldn't possibly provoke. Now wasn't the time to antagonize him.
"Ms. Zhou, there's no need to apologize to him," Tian Lin said calmly. "Even if I knelt and admitted my mistake, I'm certain he wouldn't let me go. Isn't that right, old man?" He glanced at Orf disdainfully.
Hearing this, Orf, who had been furious a moment ago, suddenly calmed down. As the head of a prominent family, he could control his temper when needed. "Heh, boy, you're right. I had no intention of letting you off today. So tell me, how would you prefer to die?"
As he spoke, Orf slowly channeled his soul power. A radiant sunflower appeared in his hand, and eight soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and four black—lit up brilliantly.
He intended to act directly. From his grandson, he already knew that Tian Lin was a commoner. He couldn't understand how a commoner had been admitted to the noble-exclusive Heaven Dou Royal Academy, but as a duke and a Soul Douluo, he believed that even if he killed this commoner, the royal family wouldn't risk offending him over a dead man.
Behind him, Aldo sneered at Tian Lin, his expression clear: This is what happens when you mess with me. I was only going to cripple you, but since you don't know your place, now you'll pay with your life!
"Stop right there!" Zhou Yan stepped in front of Tian Lin, her soul rings—one white, one yellow, and two purple—appearing, along with her martial soul, a pair of dazzling butterfly wings.
"A mere Soul Ancestor dares stand in my way?" Orf sneered, releasing his soul power. Against a Soul Ancestor, he didn't even need to use a soul skill. His raw soul power alone was enough to overwhelm her.
"Ms. Zhou, don't be reckless! That brat brought this on himself. It's not worth getting hurt for him!" Ye Ping, who had been watching silently, suddenly intervened. It was clear he had feelings for Zhou Yan.
"Mr. Ye, Tian Lin is not a brat. He's my student. Last night's incident hasn't been fully explained yet. How can we blame everything on my student based solely on Mr. Orf's account?" Zhou Yan suddenly became firm. Though her strength was lacking, she refused to back down.
"Mr. Orf is a Soul Douluo! Are you suggesting he would lie about a child? This matter doesn't concern you. Come over here," Ye Ping urged, making it clear where he stood. Between a Soul Douluo and a mere student with soul power in the teens, the right choice was obvious: siding with power.